This invention relates generally to optical systems, and in particular to the deployment of a folding telescope having a thin-film minor, a base structure, and a metering structure.
A challenge for designers of telescopes for space applications is how to create larger telescopes that may be lifted into orbit. This limitation is due, in part, to the size restrictions for payloads of the vehicles that are launched into space, as payload space in these vehicles is limited in both size and weight. Another consideration for designing large telescopes is the need to achieve a desired shape and placement of the telescope's optical surfaces. Although certain large structures have been deployed into space to serve with good success, e.g., as radio antennas and reflectors, ever larger telescopes are generally more difficult to deploy due to the requirement for perfect shape and positioning of the optical surface.
One approach for deploying large telescopes into space involves transporting segmented minors (i.e., where segmented mirrors are defined as a series of individually-linked, solid minors) to reduce the payload size. Once transported into space, the segmented minors can be moved from stowed positions and assembled to form the primary mirror of a telescope. These segmented mirrors are relatively large and heavy due to their structure, so these previous solutions do not take advantage of certain newer technologies, such as thin-film mirrors.
Accordingly, techniques are needed for packaging larger telescopes efficiently (e.g., for transportation into space), while also supporting telescope deployment into a proper form for use.